Mop holder



Sept. 28, 1943. J. REED 2,330,744

MOP HOLDER Filed March 16, 1942 Patented Sept. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP HOLDER John Reed, Des Moines, Iowa ApplicationMarch 16, 1942, Serial No. 434,929

2 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a mop holder of simple, durable and inexpensive construction especially designed for use in readily, quickly and easily clamping a mop of the class used in applying heated tar to roadways and floors.

More specifically, it is my object to provide a holder of this class which will firmly compress the central portion of the mop to thereby securely hold it against movement relative to the handle; further, to provide a holder, of this class from which the worn out mop may be quickly and easily removed without having the operators hands engage either the mop or the mop holder so near the tar-covered portion as to cause the operators hands to come in contact with the tar-covered portion thereof.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 shows'a side view of my improved mop holder, with a mop therein, which mop is shown in section at the point clamped in the holder;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the holder in position for receiving a new mop and with a mop in position to be placed in the holder; and

Figure 3 shows a lower. end view of the mop holder, the mop-clamping rod being shown in section. a

Themop holder comprises a handle member formed of a metal tube ll) of the desired diameter and length, having at its upper end a rounded knob I l.

The lower end of the tubular handle has its opposite sides flattened, as at 12, thereby causing the rounded sides at l3 to extend outwardly beyond the sides of the handle body, as shown in Figure 3.

Fixed to each of the rounded sides I3 is a tube l4 parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle.

The mop-clamping member comprises a rod having a straight body portion l5, at its lower end it is bent at right angles at I6, and its end I! is bent at right angles and extends parallel with the body [5 and is pointed at l8. At its upper end the rod is bent at right angles to form a crank l9.

Adjacent the crank I9 is a lug 20 fixed to the handle I0 and through which the rod I5 is extended. A screw 2| is seated in this lug 2b and provided with a handle 22.

The kind of mops for which the holder has been specially designed comprises a rounded bundle of cotton ropes 23, bound together with a cord 24, as shown in Figure 2.

In practice, and assuming that it was desired to place a new mop in the holder, the crank I9 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2. This moves the mop-clamping members l6 and I! to position extended outwardly from the handle, in which position the central portion of the mop may easily be inserted between the parts 15 and ll of the clamping rod. Then the operator moves the lever I9 to position for bringing the pointed end l8 in line with one of the tubes M, then the operator pulls the lever IS in a direction toward the upper end of the handle causing the part I! to enter the tube [4. At this point a distinct advantage is gained because the operator may apply all of the pulling force necessary to firmly compress the central portion of the mop so that it cannot slip longitudinally and will be held centrally of the mop holder. When this has been done the operator manipulates the screw handle and fixes the rod l5 against longitudinal movement. It is held against lateral swinging move ment by the member I! in the tube I4.

When it is desired to remove a worn mop covered by tar or the like, the operator moves the rod I5 to the position shown in Fig. 2, and by simply shaking the holder the mop will fall out and the operator need not touch it with his hands nor need to touch the lower portion of the holder, which is also usually covered with tar.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mop holder, comprising a handle having its lower end shaped to engage and support one side of a mop and having at one side a tube substantially parallel with the handle and at its opposite side an extension having an opening therein, a rod extended through said tube and pivotally and slidably supported in position substantially parallel with the handle and having at its upper end a laterally extended handle, and having at its other end a laterally extended mopengaging member, on the end of which is a mopengaging member projected toward the handle and substantially parallel therewith, and shaped to enter the opening in said extension to prevent lateral movements of the mop-engaging members of the sliding rod, and whereby when said mopengaging members of the rod are held in position extended laterally from the handle a mop may be inserted therein or removed therefrom without moving the ends of the mop lengthwise through the mop-engaging members, and whereby when the mop-engaging members are in position to clamp a mop, the mop-engaging members carried by the rod are fixed against lateral swinging movement, and manually operable means for clamping the rod in its mop-engaging position,

2. A mop holder, comprising a handle having its lower end adapted to engage and support one side of a mop and provided with oppositely disposed extensions having openings, one side of said handle having a lug supported a considerable distance above its lower end, a rod having a mop-engaging hook portion on its lower end and a laterally projecting handle member at its upper end, said rod being rotatively and slidably mounted in one of the said extensions and said lug, and a set screw in said lug to secure the rod against longitudinal movement, with the free end of said hook in the other one of said extensions.

JOHN REED. 

